Fallen Wisdom
by NightShadow131
Summary: The troopers are shocked when Touma suddenly collapses during battle.  Barely escaping, they are forced into hiding their fallen friend.  Hints shounen ai, Seiji/Touma.
1. Watchful

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Yoroiden Samurai Troopers/Ronin Warriors.

**Warnings**: Hints of shounen-ai, Seiji/Touma, but can be read as a strong friendship. n.n

So… finally, right? Lol, yes, I know: I've been talking about this fic for a very long time, and here it is! I know this plot isn't very original, but I couldn't write anything else 'til I did this so I hope you enjoy regardless. n.n At least it's something, right? Right? n.n;;

Oh! It's been a while since I've watched YST (sadly) so if there are any glaringly obvious mistakes on my part please – kindly – let me know. There shouldn't be, but ya never know… n.n;

I wonder if any of my YST fans are still out there, lol! I was really hesitant about posting this, but I figured it's as ready as it'll ever be. xD Let me know what ya think! Please and thank you. n.n

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><p><strong><span>Fallen Wisdom<span>**

**Chapter One: Watchful**

A sword arched for his head. He quickly blocked it, his thoughts back to the battle at hand.

The blonde teen killed the distracting dynasty soldier before his violet eyes scanned for Touma. He had kept a close eye on the archer all day and now it was especially important with the surprise attack. Something had just seemed… off about Touma. Therefore, he stayed as close to the Tenkuu bearer as possible and wouldn't allow the soldiers to separate them any more than they already had.

More dynasty soldiers surrounded him. Two came at him, swords swinging.

Seiji ducked to avoid one sword, and kicked the soldier hard into another. Then he rolled to the side, dodging the other blade.

He jumped to his feet and quickly got rid of the other soldier.

There seemed to be a never-ending amount of dynasty soldiers.

Looking at the others troopers, he saw that they were all fighting two or three at a time as well.

Seiji's gaze wandered back to Touma. The archer was slowing down as his steps faltered.

The blonde immediately began to get closer.

Suddenly, Touma collapsed before his watchful eyes.

Seiji's breath caught in his throat and he momentarily lost focus of the fight.

A flash of silver in the corner of his eye had him quickly jumping back, but not before the sword made contact.

The sub armor he wore protected him from the brunt of the attack, but it was still painful. He fell as he gasped for breath, his hand pressed tightly against his lower ribs.

Touma. His friend was left unprotected and vulnerable.

He tripped the soldier hovering over him and jumped up. He had to get to Touma before more soldiers could surround him.

Seiji had feared something had happened to Touma already. However, what had seemed to take forever to Seiji had only been but seconds.

The swordsman ignored the soldiers around him and plowed through them towards Touma – his only concern.

He blocked and swung and ducked as needed before the blue-haired trooper came into view. He dove at the soldier above Touma, ready to strike, and quickly killed it.

However, Seiji was unable to even check his friend, for another soldier was upon him.

Ryo, Shuu and Shin soon saw their fallen comrade and began to get closer to them.

They needed to get out of there.

Ryo was first to act. He changed to his armor and shouted, "Fury of Wildfire!"

Ryo then motioned for Seiji to get Touma out of there. He repeated the attack, clearing more of the dynasty soldiers.

Seiji picked up Touma and ran. He clenched his teeth as his ribs pulsed with pain and pushed his legs to go faster.

Shuu helped Ryo clear the soldiers while Shin fought off any who were able to get close to Seiji.

They finally reached their parked Jeep and quickly got in while Ryo and Shuu held the soldiers off.

Seiji and Shin sat in the back while Touma lay across their laps.

Shuu and Ryo soon jumped in the front seats and they quickly sped off.

By the time they finally reached their house, they had finally lost the last of the dynasty soldiers that hunted them. They were relieved that they had been so far away. It had taken over an hour just to get back; an hour just to lose all the soldiers. They had been checking up on some unusual activity, and the attack hadn't been unexpected. What _was_ unexpected was Touma's collapse.

Seiji looked down at Touma. The Tenkuu bearer had yet to move the entire time. Beads of sweat gathered on his forehead and his breathing was labored. He didn't look to be wounded, other than a scrape or two.

The blonde swordsman frowned again and placed a hand beneath the blue hair on his forehead.

Seiji swore under his breath. "He's burning up," he explained at the looks the others gave him.

As soon as they were parked, Shin got out before Seiji and helped him with Touma.

Seiji hissed between clenched teeth as his rib screamed at him, and he nearly dropped Touma while handing him to Shin.

The older trooper raised an eyebrow at Seiji, his gaze full of concern.

Seiji ignored the look and hopped out of the Jeep as if nothing was amiss. He took Touma back into his arms, insisting upon it, even though Shin was hesitant. The brunette let it go for now, and handed Touma over, keeping close to Seiji in case he should falter.

The swordsman didn't care if his rib protested with every step. He just wanted to be sure that Touma would be well.

The others were taken aback by Seiji's behavior. They knew that he cared but he usually didn't show it so blatantly.

As soon as the door was unlocked, Seiji quickly entered, and hid a wince while going up the stairs to his and Touma's room, the others following.

Ryo was sent for medicine, while Shuu left for water and bandages. Shin stayed close, ever being the mother hen.

Seiji carefully laid the archer down on his bed and then pulled up a chair from their desk. He inwardly sighed in relief at the pressure it took off his ribs.

"Seiji, what's going on?" Shin asked, worried.

"Nothing," the swordsman answered, running a hand along Touma's forehead with a frown. Touma was the only one who needed help. He shouldn't be unconscious – shouldn't have been alone to begin with.

"Seiji," Shin stated firmly, "you nearly dropped Touma."

There was a long pause.

"Let me see it," the brunette finally demanded.

"See what?" Seiji spat in irritation.

"Your injury," Shin stated sternly. He knew the blonde must have attained one. There was no other explanation.

However, Ryo and Shuu could be heard coming back up the stairs with their supplies, and so ended their conversation.

Ryo looked between the two and knew something had happened while they were away. He glanced at Shin in confusion but only received a shake of his head in return.

Shuu and Ryo dropped off the items and soon left since they didn't want to crowd the room. More importantly, they left to keep an eye out. They were sure they were being searched for. The dynasty soldiers had been far too persistent. Shin stayed to help Touma, checking him for injuries since he knew the most about the medical field and was always there when something went wrong.

As it was, Touma was extremely lucky. The only injury he had sustained was a cut across his cheek. It was a very good thing that Seiji had been watching out for him.

Once Shin was satisfied with Touma, he rounded on Seiji. The Tenkuu bearer had a high fever and should not have been wandering around – let alone fighting with them! However, there was nothing they could do about it now, but make him comfortable and lower his fever.

Seiji on the other hand…

"Now you," Shin stated with no room for argument.

Seiji had been concentrating solely on Touma so when Shin fixed his gaze on him he merely blinked at him, bewildered.

"I am not leaving until I check you over, and I will – even if I have to get Ryo and Shuu involved," the older trooper threatened. He would not let it go this time. He hadn't continued earlier because of his concern for Touma and he knew Seiji's pride.

However, if it came down to it…

Seiji sighed deeply, but cut it short being painfully reminded of his ribs.

He looked off to the side and then back at Shin. Then, he pulled up his shirt.

Shin sucked in his breath at the sight.

Seiji's lower, left rib had a large, dark bruise covering it. No wonder he had nearly dropped Touma! It was amazing the swordsman had been able to carry him at all. He hadn't even let on to the others that he had been hurt.

Shin kneeled before Seiji and gingerly pressed his fingertips against it, feeling the damage. He figured he hadn't broken it, but he had to feel it for confirmation.

Seiji stood still, a grimace on his face while Shin inspected his ribs.

Suddenly, the brunette let out a breath of relief. "You're lucky it wasn't worse…" he finally diagnosed.

Lucky is not what Seiji would have called it. He should have been more attentive.

Shin shook his head at the blonde. He was extremely glad that it hadn't been worse, for they couldn't have afforded to leave their house. The dynasty was sure to be looking for them.

The Suiko bearer grabbed the roll of bandage that Shuu had given him should Touma need it and then he set about binding Seiji's ribs. There wasn't much either of them could do about the bruised ribs. After, he dropped a couple of painkillers into the blonde's hand. He suggested, "You should lie down."

However, Seiji gave no response but to sit back down at Touma's bedside in silence.

Shin smiled sadly. He hadn't really expected much else… He was satisfied that at least Seiji took the pills, though.

He stood next to the swordsman and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "He'll be better soon," he softly encouraged.

Seiji nodded, his gaze never leaving Touma's flushed face.

"I'll be back in a while to check up on him. If he wakes up before then have him take some medicine," Shin instructed. They had set all the medicine and anything Touma should need on the nightstand beside his bed.

At Seiji's slight nod, Shin quietly stepped out but left the door ajar.

...

Hours later Touma shifted slightly, his lips parted with a groan.

Seiji's attention was immediately focused on him as he shot up to his feet in excitement, his ribs throbbing in protest to the abrupt movement.

Touma's eyebrows furrowed, his eyes tightly shut.

"Touma," Seiji said softly.

No response.

"Touma," he repeated a little louder.

This time the archer's eyelids fluttered.

The swordsman sat down and leaned over, placing a gentle hand over Touma's as he waited patiently for Touma to rouse himself out of his fever-induced sleep.

Glazed blue eyes finally met violet.

"Seiji…" Touma answered, barely above a whisper. His eyes shifted from side to side, disoriented.

"How are you feeling?" the blonde asked, watching Touma closely.

The archer looked back at Seiji and then slowly closed his eyes.

"Touma," Seiji said firmly, "look at me."

Touma's eyes cracked open after another moment, only to squint at the swordsman.

Seiji frowned deeply. He placed his hand on Touma's forehead.

And his frown grew only deeper.

His fever was higher.

Seiji turned to the nightstand and picked up the awaiting medicine. When he turned back, blue eyes were once again hidden.

"Touma, you need to stay awake a little longer. Need to take some medicine and then you can go to sleep, 'kay?" he said caringly.

Seiji was surprised when Touma let out a frustrated grunt. However, he obediently opened his eyes again.

"Here," he said, while helping Touma sit up.

The archer tried to protest the move but was too weak to do much of anything besides toss his head. Seiji helped him with the medicine and then laid him back down gently.

Shin came in not too long after to find Touma fast asleep.

"Has he awoken?" the older trooper asked with a frown, checking his temperature.

"Yeah, you just missed it. I gave him some medicine," Seiji explained, concern seeping into his usually calm voice.

"How was he?" Shin knew the fever had risen but he wanted more details.

"He could barely keep his eyes open. I don't know how aware he actually was and he didn't respond to most of my questions," the blonde replied, his voice quiet as he watched Touma for any change.

Shin sighed deeply. What a time to fall ill! He should have said something to them.

A couple minutes later, he nodded and then turned to leave with a muttered, "Be right back."

Seiji hated seeing his friend like this and wished there was something more he could do.

Shin returned with a bowl of cool water and a small towel. Dipping the towel into the water and ringing it out, he placed it on Touma's forehead.

He squeezed Seiji's shoulder in reassurance before he silently left.

Seiji moved a stray strand of blue out of Touma's face and then covered his hand with his own, his heart heavy.


	2. Protection

**Disclaimer**: I don't own YST.

**Warnings**: Hints of shounen-ai, Seiji/Touma.

Oh, geez. I did not mean for it to take this long! I got extremely distracted by WoW… Shame on me. But don't worry, it'll never take this long again. Seriously.

These first few chapters are years old, and have gone through lots and lots of revisions. I hope that they're alright and that you'll be willing to give the rest of the story a go, lol. Thank you for the reviews so far and don't forget to let me know what you think about this chapter. It is a little shorter than my usual so please forgive me. n.n

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><p><strong><span>Fallen Wisdom<span>**

**Chapter Two: Protection**

It was well into the night before Seiji started to nod off; his battered body needed its rest. Sitting on the chair did nothing to help his sore ribs.

"Seiji," someone said, almost desperately, stirring him from sleep. He moved slightly, but did not open his eyes.

"Seiji, no!" they cried, snapping him awake.

He frantically looked around.

His eyes finally settled on Touma. The sick trooper was tossing in his sleep, his fists clenched at his sides, his eyes tightly shut. Mumbled words escaped his chapped lips, too quiet for him to make sense of.

Seiji stood and leaned over Touma, gently shaking his shoulders.

After a couple minutes, Touma's eyes finally opened with a terrified look. The archer instantly tried to sit up and get away from the haunting images.

"Touma, it's alright. You're alright," the blonde tried to soothe.

Touma struggled against the hands that held him.

"No, let go!" the younger trooper started to shout.

"Touma, it's me. Snap out of it!" Seiji tried to reason with the fevered man.

In his desperate attempt to free himself, Touma wildly threw punches and struggled against Seiji's gentle touches, and he struck Seiji's injured.

With a hiss, the blonde held the wound and fell to his knees.

Finally, Touma stopped, realizing nothing was touching him. His glazed eyes looked around searchingly.

"Seiji," Touma said faintly. He blinked at the blonde on the floor.

Seiji stood, ignoring the pain and smiled in relief at his friend.

Touma suddenly slumped forward with a groan as he covered his eyes, his head pounding.

Seiji frowned deeply.

"Here," he said, holding a glass of water out for the trooper. It was the same one as before that he hadn't finished.

Touma looked up and saw the glass in front of him. He took it eagerly and with appreciation.

Once Touma was done drinking and had taken more medicine, Seiji had him lay back down.

He was almost surprised when Touma didn't put up a fight.

Touma wanted to ask Seiji some questions, however, he was far too exhaustion and his eyes wouldn't listen to what his mind told them.

He fell back asleep before he could even try to form one question.

Shin, who had been standing by the door, entered with a worried expression and something wrapped in a towel.

He had come running when he had heard shouts from the bathroom across the hall. When he had cracked the door open in caution, he had seen that Seiji had had everything under control.

However, the blonde seemed to be in pain. For Touma to have missed this fact, he must have been even more unaware than he had thought.

Seiji didn't even acknowledge Shin as he walked up to the bed.

Shin placed a hand on Touma's forehead. It was even hotter than before.

"I hope it lowers soon," Shin said softly with regret. They couldn't risk going to the hospital, but if his fever continued to climb at this rate they just might have to try.

The brunette turned from Touma and focused on Seiji.

The swordsman blinked in question at the older trooper.

"Let me see it," Shin said with a sigh.

This time Seiji didn't put up a fight. He knew he wouldn't win.

He quietly took off his shirt.

The wound didn't look any different. Shin let out a grateful sigh that there hadn't been more damage. He had Seiji put his shirt back on and sit down with a towel wrapped with ice.

"It would help if you lay down," Shin recommended.

Unsurprisingly, Seiji ignored the statement, merely holding the ice to his ribs while watching Touma.

"You need to rest, Seiji," the brunette said caringly. Ryo and Shuu were waiting for him to come back with a report since the noise had brought them all to attention. Shuu had been sleeping while Ryo kept an eye out—the three of them were taking turns with guard duty. They figured that it didn't hurt to have Seiji keep an eye on Touma in case the enemy found a way there. However, they also needed the swordsman alert and able to defend the sick trooper.

Still, Seiji didn't reply, and he sighed deeply. "Come get me if you need anything," he said in resignation.

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><p>Hours later Touma groaned.<p>

Seiji inwardly sighed, _Not again._

When blue eyes looked over at him, he felt relief wash through him.

"How are you feeling?" Seiji asked, watching the archer closely.

"Fine," Touma answered off-handedly. He felt like there was something he should remember.

Seiji shook his head with a slight smile. At least he seemed more coherent, albeit confused. He stayed silent, seeing if the blue-haired trooper could piece things together on his own.

Touma nearly shot up out of bed when he fully remembered. As soon as he even sat up, he was assailed by dizziness and fell back.

Seiji lightly placed a hand on the archer's shoulder with a quiet, "Take it easy."

"Where are the others?" Touma asked when his vision came back and the pounding in his ears subsided.

"Shuu is keeping an eye out and Ryo and Shin are sleeping," the blonde explained, sitting back down.

"What happened?" the Tenkuu bearer asked, puzzled.

"You collapsed during the fight. Ryo, Shin and Shuu put their armors on and we escaped," Seiji stated, watching Touma while he processed the words.

However, the archer just stared at his hands in silence.

"Why didn't you tell us you weren't feeling well?" he asked quietly.

Touma continued to stare.

"I thought I wasn't going to make it in time," Seiji whispered. The image of Touma falling during the fight was burned in his memory. They could have lost him.

At these despairing words, Touma finally raised his head and met Seiji's violet eyes.

"I'm sorry, Seiji," he said contritely, and there really wasn't much else he could say. He knew he should have said something to the others. He had known he had been coming down with something. He just hadn't wanted to be left behind. He had thought he could have been helpful.

However, in the end, they had had to save him and run.

It could have ended a lot differently.

Seiji smiled and placed a hand on Touma's, grateful he was still with them.

After a couple comfortable minutes of silence, Touma started to drift again.

"Touma—"

"I know. Medicine," the archer finished, opening his eyes to see said object in front of him. He had been sick before.

Seiji chuckled as Touma took the medicine without another word.

The sick trooper lay back down and was quickly asleep.

Seiji smiled at Touma's sleeping form, relieved.

…

Whispered voices.

The words were too softly spoken to understand.

Who was speaking?

His eyes were closed, he realized.

Touma.

He opened his violet eyes quickly. He had fallen asleep!

The voices stopped, and he turned.

Ryo and Shin.

"Sorry if we woke you," Shin said with regret. He had been surprised but pleased when he had found the blonde sleeping when he had come to check on Touma earlier that morning. Because Seiji had been asleep, Shin had frequently visited Touma and had left him alone to sleep.

Seiji ignored the two and turned his attention to Touma, ashamed that he had allowed himself to sleep while watching over him.

"Nothing has changed. He's alright, Seiji," Shin spoke reassuringly to the swordsman. He knew that he felt like he had let them down. "You needed rest."

"He talked to me for a while last night," Seiji said abruptly.

Shin and Ryo smiled at Seiji, glad of the news.

Silence passed between the three when Seiji finally asked," Have you seen anything yet?"

Ryo shook his head. "Shuu is watching now."

"We've been lucky," Shin said solemnly. They had thought that someone would have shown up by now.

Seiji placed a hand on his bruised ribs, looking at Touma. They had been very lucky.

"I can take the next watch…" he said somewhat reluctantly. He felt guilty about sitting beside Touma while they watched for signs of trouble.

Shin shook his head and smiled. "The next is mine," he refused his friend. He knew Seiji didn't want to leave, but had felt obligated to make the offer, and would have followed through with it if they had asked him to.

Seiji nodded in appreciation.

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><p>"Seiji! Get Touma out of here. They found us!" he heard Shuu yell from downstairs followed by Shin's name.<p>

Ryo threw open the door, holding his side, blood trailing down his hand. "Move, quick!"

But he couldn't.

Seiji was beside him in his sub armor.

Then a dynasty soldier was behind Ryo and a sword pierced his stomach.

"No! Ryo!" Seiji shouted, charging.

He commanded his body to move, to help.

All he could do was watch, watch as his friends protected him—died for him.

Two more came at Seiji.

"No, Seiji! Stop," he tried to yell but no sound came out.

And he watched as Seiji fell.

Seiji looked back at him through pain filled eyes. "I'm sorry, Touma," he whispered before falling limp.

"No! Seiji, Ryo, no!" he cried. "Seiji!"

The dynasty soldiers advanced


	3. Helpless

**Disclaimer**: I still do not own YST.

**Warnings**: Hints of shounen-ai, Seiji/Touma.

Next chapter! yay! I hope… n.n;; Anyway, it seems I either misplaced some chapters (I write them on paper first) or I wrote less for this fic than I thought, lol. So either, the next chapter is going to be the last one, the second to last, or third to last, lol. xDD Ah, geez. I'm not quite sure how that happened, but I'll go a-searchin'. I know, it's pathetic...

I hope you all enjoy regardless and thank you for the reviews. They're much appreciated. n.n

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><p><strong><span>Fallen Wisdom<span>**

**Chapter Three: Helpless**

Seiji shot up from the chair, gasping. His dream had been dark and frightening. He had heard voices shouting his name, pleading for him. Violet eyes darted around the room before settling on Touma. What he saw did not reassure him.

"Touma, I'm here," he quickly tried to soothe. The voices hadn't only been in his dream.

However, the sick trooper kept shouting, cursing; screaming their names.

Suddenly, the door burst open, causing Seiji to jump at the sound as he assumed a fighting stance. Ryo ran into the bedroom in his sub armor, breathing fast, his eyes wide with panic.

"What's going on?" the leader asked in confusion after a cursory glance of the room.

"Nightmare," Seiji distractedly replied as he refocused his thoughts on Touma. He needed to wake him up, needed to get him to calm down.

It took a few minutes but the two were finally able to awaken Touma. However, his behavior after was alarming. He wouldn't respond to anything they said and he stared off at nothing. Sometimes his eyes would flicker across the room as if caught by some movement.

"He's only getting worse," Seiji said with worry-drenched words.

Ryo nodded, he had felt the heat radiate off the archer while they had been calming him.

Shin had gone into the room soon after Ryo but, after seeing that it was only because of another nightmare, he had run down the stairs to warn Shuu. He needed to stay posted as he was sure the Kongo bearer had already been on his way to help protect the sick trooper.

The brunette came back after talking to Shuu to see how Touma was.

Without a word, he walked over to the blue-haired trooper and slowly brought his hand up to check the fever. He wasn't sure how he would react after what Ryo and Seiji had told him.

He placed his hand on the clammy forehead.

Touma blinked and looked at him. He froze, waiting for a response.

However, the blue eyes only closed and he slumped forward on to Shin's shoulder, his fevered body unable to support him.

Shin sighed deeply, gently lowering the sick trooper.

"I don't know what else to do," the brunette said sadly, looking down at Touma. It was clear that what they were doing wasn't helping. He was surprised at how sick Touma was becoming.

They stood there in silence.

"Where's Shuu?" Ryo suddenly asked, perplexed. He had been sure that Shuu would have come running. Touma had scared them all deeply. They had been afraid that—even after all their precautions—the enemy had managed to sneak their way in and had gotten to their weakest member.

This was now the second time a nightmare had frightened them all, and he wondered if it would happen again. Would _their_ nightmare come true? That the enemy would find Touma?

"I caught him at the stairs and told him what was happening," Shin explained simply.

"Good thinking," Ryo nodded. Neither he nor Seiji had noticed Shin enter the room. He was glad that Shin had been able to catch Shuu in time, though. It didn't matter what else was going on, _one_ of them needed to be on guard duty. Then again, it had seemed like someone had slipped past them…

"I'll go make some food for everyone," the leader finally said. They all needed something to eat. But besides that, he needed something to do; something to distract him from the situation, from Touma's declining health.

"Something light for Touma—soup would be best right now," Shin suggested with a frown. He hoped they would be able to get the archer to eat.

Ryo waved his hand at Shin as if saying 'I know,' as he walked out of the room.

The older trooper shook his head with a slight smile. However, his lightened mood immediately deflated when his gaze settled back on Touma.

"Maybe we should get him to a hospital."

Shin started at the sudden words quietly said in helplessness.

He sighed deeply, looking at the swordsman. The violet eyes were still glued on Touma and Shin couldn't see his face very well with the blonde hair falling around him, but he had never seen Seiji so discouraged before. His slumped form spoke only of defeat.

Shin had no idea what to say, how to comfort him. He figured going to a doctor would be best for their friend, but what if the dynasty soldiers trapped them on the way? Even worse, what if whoever had sent them was with this time around?

Touma was far too vulnerable.

And Seiji knew exactly why Shin had kept his silence.

Everyone knew the risks, especially Seiji. He had had every scenario run through his mind, and hadn't liked a single one of them.

He sighed in return.

Only if Touma's fever rose too high would they take him in. Then it couldn't be helped.

Shin placed a hand on Seiji's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. He didn't know how exactly he could bring Touma's fever down but he would do everything he could think of; even if that meant repeating a lot of things…

Shin stood. "I'll be back," he said softly and then left Seiji with Touma. He knew it would make little difference to the blonde whether he was there or not. He decided that Ryo would need some help—if not with the cooking then with carrying everything.

The brunette smirked. He bet it was getting hard for Shuu to stay at his post, knowing food was being prepared. None of them had been eating very well since returning.

Seiji kept thinking about what would happen if they were found, and if Touma got worse.

He moved his hand towards the sleeping trooper but hesitated.

He took a deep breath and then gently held Touma's hand in his own. He didn't know how else to give comfort, comfort for himself as well. He still berated himself for not forcing Touma to stay behind, or forcing him to talk. He had known something was wrong with the archer…

About an hour and a half later, Shin came back, carrying food with Ryo close behind, cutting off all his self-blaming thoughts.

Shin stood there for a second, trying to decide what to do. Mind quickly made up, he set the food on the desk.

"We need to wake him," the older trooper stated, watching Touma's sleeping features. He finally seemed to be resting. He wanted to leave him alone but he needed nourishment. He hadn't eaten anything since they had left to investigate and who knew how much he had before then…

Seiji leaned over and gently shook Touma's shoulder, softly calling his name.

Touma mumbled something and turned his head.

"Come on, Touma. Open your eyes for us," the blonde encouraged.

They desperately hoped that he wasn't in the midst of another nightmare. They were taking a heavy toll on everyone, and the sick trooper deserved a break.

This time Seiji was rewarded for his efforts when Touma half-opened his eyes, sleepily trying to get oriented.

"That's it, Touma. We're going to sit you up now, okay?" Seiji figured it was best to let the archer know exactly what they were going to do, especially since he wasn't fully awake.

Touma nodded slightly, but really it looked more like an uncontrolled head-bob.

He inwardly sighed as he motioned for Shin to help him.

They started to get Touma up when the sapphire eyes snapped open.

They froze, watching the archer closely. Touma looked back and forth between the two troopers, his two friends.

Both felt the tension drain from Touma's body and they continued to sit him up. Pillows were stacked under him to keep him propped up.

"Stay awake, Touma," Seiji commanded softly seeing the blue eyes hidden.

Touma slowly opened his eyes.

"Seiji, Shin?" the sick trooper asked confused, and swallowed thickly, his throat dry.

The two smiled at him.

Seiji reached behind him and grabbed the glass of water on the bedside table. He handed the glass over but kept his hand close when he noticed how shaky and weak Touma's grip was.

The archer gulped down the water as testament to his thirst.

"Slow down before you make yourself sick," Shin warned. That would be the last thing Touma needed right now.

Touma heeded the advice and finished drinking the water slowly, feeling a little better and a lot more coherent.

Seiji set the glass back on the table and turned back to the archer.

"Think you can eat?" Shin questioned in concern, although the question was more rhetorical than anything.

Touma's stomach flipped at the thought of food and he wasn't sure if he could but he knew he definitely wasn't hungry.

He shook his head slowly. Besides, it took way too much energy.

"Would you try?" the older trooper insisted. They could tell how much the fever was affecting him by his behavior alone.

Then Touma knew that he didn't have a choice. Shin was merely asking to be polite. In the end, he would have to try.

Reluctantly, he gave a small nod.

Shin grinned at him, and Touma nearly groaned.

The brunette picked up the bowl of soup and started to turn back towards Touma with it, his hand on the spoon.

Abruptly, he stopped, seeing Touma's raised eyebrow.

"Right," he said simply and set the bowl back down.

He stood and motioned towards Ryo. "Make sure he takes those pills after eating," was all he said before dragging the leader out of the door behind them, their portion of food in hand.

Seiji blinked as he watched the two leave and then turned to Touma.

The archer actually had a grin plastered on his face. It was the first smile he had seen since the trooper had fallen ill, he realized.

He couldn't help but smile in return.

Seiji shrugged and then reached for the soup. He glanced at Touma with the soup in hand and paused.

At the sick trooper's expression of 'feed me and die,' he chuckled lightly. Shaking his head, Seiji placed the bowl of soup in Touma's waiting hands.


	4. Better or Worse?

**Disclaimer**: I do not own YST.

Ah! Sorry it took so long for this to be posted! I lost track of time hardcore. Eesh. So, good (or bad) news is that this isn't going to be the last chapter. I believe the next one will be. However, that one still isn't quite finished… I know, shame on me. I barely write these days and it makes me incredibly sad… ;-;

Anyway, I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Let me know what ya think. n.n

* * *

><p><strong><span>Fallen Wisdom<span>**

**Chapter Four: Better or Worse?**

Touma woke slowly, his body ached, his eyes felt heavy. His fevered mind had trouble keeping up with events, and he vaguely wondered where Seiji was. The swordsman had been near his side every time he'd even peeked his eyes open, and throughout this whole time he had been the one constant; the one thing he could clearly remember: Seiji's voice, Seiji's hands, Seiji's eyes. It was soothing.

Curiosity won over and the blue-haired teen forced his eyes to cooperate. The room was dark, the moon the only source of light. Scanning the area for any sign of Seiji, Touma spotted no one.

His heart thudded painfully in his chest as a bad feeling gripped him tightly.

Sapphire eyes closed tightly as he concentrated solely on listening, hoping that maybe he just couldn't see Seiji's shadow with the poor lighting.

Silence. Was something wrong?

The archer reopened his eyes and pushed aside the covers. A chill swept across his skin and he shivered.

Touma nearly jumped out of the bed as the door was pushed open wider and a figure walked in.

He let out a breath of relief as Seiji's blonde hair practically glowed from the sliver of moonlight.

"Touma?" the swordsman questioned softly.

Turning on the lamp on the side table next to the bed, Seiji set down a bowl and looked at Touma with concern.

Touma squinted his eyes at the bright light but with one glance at Seiji he didn't like what he saw and frowned. The blonde had dark circles beneath his eyes that held only concern.

"You alright, Touma?" Seiji asked, slowly sitting down.

However, Touma noticed the movement and how gingerly the swordsman sat in the chair.

"You need to sleep, Seiji," the Tenkuu bearer said firmly, ignoring the question.

Seiji opened his mouth in protest.

"Where are you hurt?" Touma cut him off.

How long had he been hurt…?

How had he been hurt?

Seiji frowned. "I'm fine," he stiffly replied.

He was glad that the archer was more alert than before but he needed to concentrate on becoming better and resting than on him. The expression that he met told him he wouldn't get what he wanted. And honestly, Seiji couldn't blame him; for he would feel the same if their roles were reversed.

"A couple bruised ribs. Nothing to worry about," he finally answered off-handedly, staring into sapphire eyes. Touma's eyes were filled with concern and exhaustion, his cheeks were flushed bright pink and his breathing didn't come easy.

He had only told the archer the truth because he knew Touma wouldn't let it go until he was told, and he wished nothing more than for the sick trooper to get more sleep, to be able to recover.

Touma's frown grew deeper at the words. He started to speak when Shin walked in.

His expression quickly turned in to one of surprise and joy when he saw Touma was awake and seemingly aware.

"How are you feeling?" Shin asked with a smile.

Touma exchanged a quick glance with Seiji. "Better," he replied, letting the subject drop. The more he thought, the more his ever-present headache grew.

Shin's eyes shifted between the two, perplexed. However, instead of bringing it up, he said, "That's great news! I brought you more medicine."

The Tenkuu bearer would have groaned if he hadn't known how much danger they were in with him being down for the count. Therefore, he took the medicine without complaint and laid back down, closing his eyes. He was surprised at how drained he felt from simply talking.

Shin and Seiji said nothing as they watched the sick trooper relax and fall into sleep.

The brunette gently placed the back of his hand against Touma's forehead. "It's gone down," he supplied, knowing Seiji was watching.

Seiji smiled fondly down at Touma, glad at the news. It was so hard to sit there and watch the usually active trooper be so still.

Shin looked at the clock: 10PM. "Well, it's time for me to take Shuu's place. If anything changes come get me, otherwise I'll check on him after my watch," he informed, relieved of this improvement. He knew he didn't really need to hover over Touma so much—Seiji could take care of him. However, he felt he needed to watch over them, like a big brother.

Seiji nodded, "Thanks, Shin."

The blonde still felt bad for not taking watch, but he knew the brunette would never allow him to so he didn't even think about asking.

...

A couple hours of watching Touma in the stiff wooden chair, and Seiji stood and stretched, wincing at his ribs. He stood there for a moment with a hand covering his ribs and then shifted his gaze to his bed.

Then he looked at Touma again. The archer was still, his breathing even—even if it was through his mouth—and he wore a calm expression.

The blonde sighed and turned back to his bed, and walked over to it.

He finally got a good night's rest for the first time since they had brought Touma home sick.

* * *

><p>Shin stared out the window, his senses alert for any unnatural sound or movement. However, his thoughts drifted. He couldn't help but worry over Touma's condition, and even Seiji. Sure, his rib wasn't serious, but he was getting next to no sleep on top of not taking care of said injury.<p>

The brunette sighed heavily. There really was nothing he could do. He just prayed that they wouldn't be found.

A hand was soon placed on his shoulder, but he didn't start at the contact, for he had heard Ryo walking down the stairs to relieve him.

Shin looked at Ryo and smiled gently. The hand on his shoulder gave a squeeze of reassurance. The black-haired teen knew exactly how Shin felt—they all felt it.

"I'm going to check on Touma before heading to bed," Shin explained simply, already moving towards the stairs.

Ryo only nodded in return. They all took turns checking on the blue-haired trooper, all wishing him well. This sickness had them all too worried, they were too vulnerable.

…

Shin pressed the door open slightly to Seiji and Touma's room, peeking in. He was expecting to see Seiji on the chair at the sick trooper's side. However, when he didn't see the blonde he pushed the door open wider in surprise, and looked around the room.

He finally spotted him in his bed, fast asleep.

Shin smiled softly.

Seiji definitely needed the rest and sleeping on his bed instead of the wooden chair would help his bruised ribs. Still, he was surprised that the blonde had opted to move from said stiff chair since it had become his spot for the past couple of days.

He knew that Seiji would never leave Touma unprotected, that he was a light sleeper and as soon as he had opened the door, Shin would have bet that the swordsman had been aware that it had been him who had entered.

Shin quietly walked over to Touma and was pleased to find that Touma's fever hadn't risen from when he had checked it before his watch.

He looked back over at Seiji and then at Touma. Both were relaxed, sleeping peacefully.

The brunette smiled fondly and stepped out to go to his room to do some sleeping of his own.

* * *

><p>The following day nothing had changed: Touma's fever neither rose nor fell, the troopers still kept watch, and no one was spotted.<p>

Touma was alert and talking, and even managed to eat a bowl of soup without it making reappearance.

Seiji was once again at Touma's side. He had been excited during the day, talking and laughing with the archer. However, he now wore a deep frown while he sat his vigil. Touma's fever had spiked during the night.

He had thought he was on the mend…

Seiji clenched his fists in his lap.

Shin entered the room quietly and immediately froze when his eyes fell upon Seiji's tense form. He inwardly sighed, guessing the reason for the blonde's sudden frustrated demeanor.

Sure enough, when he stepped closer he could see Touma's features tight with pain and the beads of sweat on his forehead. He placed a hand on Seiji's shoulder for support but was out of words. He didn't know what to say besides the senseless reassurances he had already given.

The swordsman didn't even acknowledge the brunette as he merely continued to stare at his sick friend.

Shin could feel the frustration building in Seiji and could understand exactly where he was coming from.

"I don't understand," Seiji hissed, "I thought he was getting better."

Shin was almost surprised by these words, for the blonde usually kept calm and collected. He supposed they were all just reaching the end of their endurance, having to watch their friend suffer so and getting very little sleep on top of it.

When Seiji was met with silence, he finally looked up at Shin and noted his sad expression. His frustration only grew. He was just so tired of this. He wanted Touma to be back to his carefree self, to be able to laugh and train again.

He wanted him less vulnerable…

"Seiji…" Shin stated, unsure as he reached out to the blonde.

Abruptly, Seiji stood and spun towards the door.

"Seiji!" he repeated in alarm.

"I'm going to meditate." It was all Seiji said before he walked out the door.

Seiji knew that in his weakened state, Touma couldn't handle his despairing thoughts—it would only deter any healing. He hadn't wanted to leave the archer's side as his worry and fear only mounted. However, he knew that it was the only thing he could do for Touma at the moment. He needed to remove the negative energy from their room. Once he got rid of it, he would return and control himself. He was slipping and it was a sign.

Shin sighed sadly as he watched Seiji leave their room for the first time since the Tenkuu bearer had fallen.

Ryo soon peeked his head in.

Shin chuckled lightly at the sight and gestured for the leader to come closer. He really didn't want to raise his voice above a whisper if he didn't have to. For now it seemed the sick trooper slept calmly.

"He doing any better?" Ryo asked with a frown, looking down at Touma.

"He was but his fever shot back up…" the brunette explained. He could tell there was something else on Ryo's mind, however. The Rekka bearer seemed fidgety and distracted.

Silence filled the room, thick and uncomfortable.

"Is Seiji alright? He just left…" Ryo finally said his voice filled with concern and confusion. He knew how much the blonde had wanted to stay by Touma's side so he hadn't known how to react when he saw him storm out their back door without a word.

"He's… He feels helpless, I think, and scared that Touma's so vulnerable," Shin explained slowly, trying to figure out how to say it. He had been lost in thought about the swordsman's unusual behavior. "He went out to meditate."

Ryo nodded, and stared back down at the blue-haired teen confined to bed rest. "Should he be alone?" he asked, meeting Shin's eyes.

Shin held the gaze, never wavering. He knew this was important, and honestly he didn't know if he should be alone, but… "He needs to be," he answered simply.

Any break in Seiji's concentration would only upset the swordsman and his meditating. He thought that the quicker Seiji felt calm and collected the better for everyone.

Ryo nodded, he trusted Shin's judgement.


	5. Worth the Risk

**Disclaimer**: I don't own YST; if I did there would be at least one yaoi coupling. xDD

Warning: I apologize for the end. Nuff said. -.-

Fifth and final chapter, and I apologize for the wait, for the actual ending (I know it isn't up to par and it… well, kinda scares me, lol), for how short this story is. I just don't see it being too much longer, ya know? However, I do hope you enjoy it regardless. I don't have high hopes and I disappointed myself, but I guess that's nothing new, lol. .::sighs::. Anyway, thank you very much for those of you who have stuck with me; I appreciate the reviews. Hope to hear from you again. n.n

Hope you enjoy, even if only a little. .::grins::.

Happy Holidays to everyone! n.n

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><p><strong><span>Fallen Wisdom<span>**

**Chapter Five: Worth the Risk**

Touma felt more than heard the presence, it was something that didn't belong. Once he was aware of the feeling, he heard noises. It sounded like a struggle. It was then that he realized that his eyes were shut. They were heavy with exhaustion and he had to fight to open them.

The blue eyes locked on to a frightening picture: Seiji was pinned to the wall by a dark figure. Neither seemed to know he had awoken, for their focus was only on each other.

The intruder pressed Seiji tighter against the wall and wrapped his hand tightly around his neck with a sneer.

Touma's pulse quickened and he fought down his rising panic. He needed to be calm about this, quiet. The archer slowly slid the covers off as he brought his legs over the edge of the bed. He nearly face-planted as he tried to stand, his weakened legs protested and he felt lightheaded.

The dark eyes were upon him.

Seiji's hands fell limp by his sides as he started to pass out.

Touma woke with a start, his heart thudding against his chest.

Instead of the expected violet eyes he was usually greeted with, sky-blue eyes stared back at him.

"Touma, you all right?" Shin asked. It was sad to see the Tenkuu bearer back in this state.

The sapphire eyes only stared at him and then shifted around the room.

Shin was alarmed by this behavior and repeated the teen's name.

"Where's Seiji?" Touma questioned, the fear leaking through his voice, the nightmare still very real in his mind.

Shin frowned deeply. "He's alright. He's outside meditating."

…

Seiji sat cross-legged outside surrounded by complete silence, the stars and moon the only light to see. Nothing moved about him, even the wind was still this night. It was the perfect condition to calm his restless mind.

Unfortunately, his thoughts kept straying to Touma, seeing the usually energetic trooper limp in bed, his features tight with pain. Several times he had had to stand and practice his sword skills, hoping to let out some of his frustrations before sitting back down.

He closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath.

It was then that all his senses alerted him, he heard steps, he felt an unnatural darkness and he snapped his eyes open wide. His hand reached for his sword when he felt the presence behind him. He was only able to turn slightly before a hand clamped over his mouth and a blade was against his throat, pressing his body close to his assailant.

Seiji cursed himself. He couldn't believe he had allowed the enemy to get this close. He had been too distracted. He must have been watching the place, waiting for the right moment, and chose right he had.

"I'm so glad you decided to come out and play, Korin," the dark-haired man whispered into his ear.

Thoughts ran through his mind as he tried to think of a way out of the situation. He couldn't warn the others and could barely move with the blade's sharp edge so close.

Seiji eyed his sword. If he could find a way…

The sword against his throat moved closer, close enough to draw a thin line of blood. "Don't even think about it," the man warned.

He couldn't let him get into the house and to the others.

Inwardly, he took a deep breath to calm himself and closed his eyes. He tried to call to the power of Korin, his armor would protect him. He couldn't just stand there and be hostage.

Suddenly, he was pushed down, the dark man on top of him, knee in his back.

And the armor escaped him. He gritted his teeth as his ribs cried out.

"I know all about your armors," the man said with a chuckle. "I'm going to take you out one by one and take them. Starting with you."

Ignoring his rib's protests, Seiji tried to roll and kick, and struggled to get the man off him. However, the enemy was strong and wore his own armor. The blonde knew it wasn't one like theirs but it only helped confirm who he was in league with.

Then the man jumped off him, flipping in the air as an arrow whizzed by.

Seiji immediately sprang up, his hand taking a firm hold on his sword, facing his assailant. He couldn't help but slouch slightly because of the abuse on his ribs.

"Seiji!" A voice shouted breathlessly, and the swordsman chanced a look. He inwardly gasped in dismay when he saw Touma running towards him in full armor, Shin not far behind.

He nodded his appreciation, but his eyes held disapproval. The archer needed to be resting. He was already out of breath and his armor was going to drain him even more. He was in no condition to fight.

However, he said nothing since he didn't want the enemy to know how weak Touma really was. Let him think that the Tenkuu bearer had recovered.

He hoped it wasn't a mistake.

Shin stood beside Touma, his eyes wide. To think he had tried to convince Touma to stay in the room; that Seiji was fine meditating by himself outside.

As the three turned to fight this new enemy, dynasty soldiers dropped from the sky.

Seiji ignored the soldiers, his eyes never straying from the one in charge. He had attacked them while they were most vulnerable. This had to be stopped quickly; he didn't know how long Touma would be able to fight, especially being in his armor.

Touma and Shin charged the soldiers and Seiji took advantage of the confusion to call his armor. As soon as he donned it, the dark-haired man was upon him. He barely had enough time to raise his sword to block.

Soon, he heard Ryo and Shuu's battle cries and felt some relief, for he knew that the dynasty soldiers would only keep coming.

The Korin bearer fought with a new vigor, pushing the offensive.

However, a soldier had gotten through the others' defenses and charged at him. He blocked just in time, but had to dive to narrowly miss his main enemy. His ribs protested vehemently at the movement and he couldn't hide the wince that crossed his features. It took a little longer to bounce back to his feet, and the soldier's sword was already in motion again.

Then, the soldier fell, an arrow protruding from his neck. Seiji had no time to be grateful though, for his other opponent was on him. He wore a smirk as their swords clashed and a flicker of something he couldn't place was behind the dark eyes.

The blows came harder against Seiji's sword and the force shot stabs of pain to his ribs. His breath came in quick gasps as he tried to regain the upper-hand and ignore the pain.

He blocked the sword aimed at his neck, and then stumbled to his knee, one hand snapped to his side as he momentarily lost his breath from the excruciating pain. He almost passed out, his vision going grey.

The dark-haired enemy had noticed the blonde's wince from the soldier's earlier attack and how he had had trouble getting back up following. The exact placement of the injury was confirmed while he gave blow after blow upon the trooper.

He grinned. Arago would be pleased.

He raised the sword for the kill…

…

Touma panted as he forced himself to stay focused. Sweat trickled beneath his armor, down his back, the side of his face, he was burning up and getting weaker by the minute. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to hit his targets, let alone stay standing.

Relief spilled through him when Ryo joined his side with Shuu in tow. He figured Ryo must have seen him and Shin rush outside and had assumed the worst so had gotten Shuu. And he was ever grateful.

The archer struggled against the dynasty soldiers. As usual they never seemed to end and that only added to his weariness.

He stumbled and would have fallen but for Ryo's sudden strong grip. "Hang in there, Touma," he encouraged as he blocked another soldier.

Touma took a deep breath and nodded. He resumed his fighting stance. It wasn't long before there were too many soldiers for Ryo to fight alone and he jumped to help. He would continue until he passed out if need be.

Minutes, hours, days seemed to pass to Touma as he continued to struggle, to fight against the soldiers and his body

After dropping another soldier, the blue-haired trooper took a quick look around, trying to catch his breath.

What he saw only took his breath away.

Seiji was kneeling before their enemy in obvious pain, his sword lax in his hand at his side.

His heart thudded painfully in his chest as he took great gulps of air.

He could see a soldier advancing towards him from his peripheral vision.

There was no time.

Touma quickly fitted an arrow and aimed. His vision was starting to blur and his hands were shaky. He closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath, and then slowly let it back out.

Quickly, he reopened his eyes and let the arrow fly.

The archer was knocked to the ground and he knew no more.

…

Ryo saw the archer go down. A dynasty soldier hovered over him, and all he could think about was how he wouldn't be able to get there in time.

His panic only rose when Touma didn't get back up.

Ignoring the soldier's surrounding him, he charged through them as he forced his way to Touma, and threw himself on the one that threatened his friend.

"Seiji!" Shin shouted from the other side of their yard.

The leader spun around to see the arrow in the dark servant, his sword falling as a black smoke escaped his armor.

The armor fell down in pieces before Seiji's widened eyes. He scanned the area and saw that the rest of the soldier's were following suit. Then his gaze fell on Touma.

The Korin bearer jumped to his feet, ignoring the fierce pain of his ribs, and fell beside the archer. The others soon joined him.

As Seiji rolled Touma onto his lap, the Tenkuu armor dissipated, leaving him in his street clothes.

The violet eyes held sorrow as he looked at his friend's pained features.

Seiji shed his armor and placed a hand on Touma's forehead. Immediately, he withdrew his hand, his face panicked. "We need to get him to a hospital now!" he shouted as he placed one hand under Touma's knees and the other under his back and started moving quickly towards the jeep.

* * *

><p>The hospital had kept Touma overnight. His fever had reached a frightening height. The trooper had feared that all the action that had been pushed upon Touma had been far too much for his body to handle. He had already been too weak.<p>

Overnight, the doctors had been able to lower his fever tremendously and, during the afternoon, they allowed Touma to be released. How close Touma had been to death or serious brain damage didn't escape any of them. They were almost grateful for the sudden attack; for it had allowed them to quickly take the archer to the hospital without risk.

Before they had left, the doctors—thanks to Shin's help—had forced Seiji to have his ribs looked at. Fortunately, no further damage had been done. They had wrapped it up for him and gave him stronger pain pills.

Currently, Touma lay back in his own bed with Seiji once again beside him. However, this time, there was no watch and no tension from the possibility of an unexpected attack, and Touma was nearly recovered.

The archer still had a slight fever and was confined to bed. He didn't have enough strength to complain about it yet but the others were confident it was only a matter of time. He had already been stuck in bed for too many days.

Seiji was being forced by Touma to sleep in his own bed instead of the stiff chair he seemed so fond of. There had been too many close calls over the past week and everyone wanted fast recoveries.

"I'm sorry," Seiji suddenly said, staring at his hands.

Touma sat up with his back against the wall. He looked at the blonde startled. "What for?" he asked in confusion.

The two had been sitting in silence for a while now. Seiji rarely left the bedroom—mainly because he couldn't bring himself to leave until the archer was fully recovered should anything go wrong. They spoke on and off throughout the day, but this apology had been much unexpected.

"I should have protected you," Seiji said, bringing his gaze to meet Touma's, "but instead, you protected me."

The guilt weighed heavily on the swordsman's mind. He hadn't wanted to say anything to Touma at the hospital with his health in such bad shape. Now, he could hold it back no longer. He had failed his friend; had left him alone to sort out his frustrations. If he hadn't left Arago's servant never would have caught them off-guard. Touma wouldn't have had to fight.

Touma reached for Seiji's hand and the blonde let him take it in his own.

The archer cradled the slender hand as though it were a precious item and looked into the forlorn violet eyes. "I know you did all you could to protect me—us. You're allowed a break or two. You can't always be perfect," he said with a grin. He knew Seiji always thought that whenever anything went wrong, he should have been the one to do something differently, to protect everyone, to take the fall.

"But I left you." Seiji couldn't let go of his guilt. He had left Touma to focus on himself. They were a unit, a team, and he had abandoned one because he couldn't keep his emotions in check.

There were no breaks.

"You left me with Shin," Touma continued to encourage. "You couldn't have known, Seiji."

The blonde lowered his gaze to their hands, Touma's gentle hold reassuring. However, he had been weak, he shouldn't have let his guard down, he shouldn't have let the enemy get the jump on him...

He could still feel the slight heat coming off the archer's hands.

Touma followed Seiji's stare. After a moment he lifted his top hand to Seiji's chin to meet his eyes. "I would give my life for you. We're all here for each other. It's worth the risk," the Tenkuu bearer said sincerely, his gaze never wavering.

Deep down he knew Touma was right, and that there probably wasn't much else he could have done. Although he had needed to be protected, they were all alive and recovering with minimal injuries. He was grateful. He knew if the roles were reversed it he would have done the same to protect any of his friends.

Touma was right: it was worth the risk.


End file.
